Thanksgiving – that wonderful holiday when food overindulgence is accepted, watching football is encouraged and shopping is considered a sport – is also big business. And it’s just two days away.

Practically everyone this Thanksgiving will be enjoying hearty meals, while another good deal will be tuning in for some football and holiday TV specials, traveling and shopping.

EATING

271 Million
The preliminary estimate of turkeys raised in the U.S. in 2008, with 49 million expected to come from Minnesota
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, U.S. Census Bureau

46 Million
The number of turkeys predicted to be eaten at Thanksgiving, with the average turkey weighing 15 lbs
Source: National Turkey Federation

$1.01
The average cost of turkey per pound in December 2007
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

$9.2 Million
The value of live turkey imports from January to July of 2008
Source: Foreign Trade Statistics

$4.3 Billion
Forecasted 2008 receipts to farmers from turkey sales
Source: USDA Economic Research Service

689 Million Lbs.
Forecast for U.S. cranberry production in 2008, up 5 percent from 2007
Source: U.S. Census Bureau

1.8 Billion Lbs.
Total weight of sweet potatoes produced by major sweet potato-producing states in 2007
Source: U.S. Census Bureau

1.1 Billion Lbs.
Total production of pumpkin-producing states in 2007, valued at $117 million
Source: U.S. Census Bureau

2.1 Billion Bushels
Volume of wheat produced in 2007
Source: U.S. Census Bureau

WATCHING

44 Million
Average number of viewers tuning into NBC to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, while an average of 3 million persons watch it live
Source: Macy’s Inc.

12.11 Million
Number of adults aged 25 to 54 who watched the CBS Thanksgiving Day NFL game in 2007
Source: Nielsen Media Research, Inc. (via TV by the Numbers)

9.19 Million
Number of adults who stuck around after the football game to watch the post-game wrap-up
Source: Nielsen Media Research, Inc. (via TV by the Numbers)

TRAVELING

41 Million
The number of Americans anticipated to travel more than 50 miles from home this Thanksgiving weekend
Source: AAA

33.2 Million
Holiday travelers expected to go via car, a 1.2 percent decrease from 2007
Source: AAA

$1.89
National average price of gasoline per gallon as of Nov. 24
Source: Energy Information Administration

3.26 Million
Travelers using trains, buses or other modes of transportation this Thanksgiving, up 5.8 percent from last year
Source: AAA

4.54 Million
American holiday-goers expected to travel by plane, down 7.2 percent from 2007
Source: AAA

$490
Average airplane fare for domestic round-trip flights the Wednesday to Sunday over Thanksgiving, an increase of 35 percent from last year
Source: Live Search Forecast

2
Extra corridors of airspace from Florida to Maine to be turned into “Thanksgiving express lanes” Nov. 26 to Nov. 30
Source: The Associated Press

SHOPPING

34%
The percentage of shoppers hitting the stores on “Black Friday” — the day after Thanksgiving
Source: Maritz, Inc.

$875
Amount to be spent on gifts by 33 percent of Black Friday shoppers; 17 percent plan to spend over $1,000
Source: Maritz, Inc.

1.2%
Expected sales gain on Black Friday, down 7.1 percentage points from last year’s 8.3 percent sales increase
Source: BDO Seidman, LLP

2.4%
Forecasted sales increase for “Cyber Monday” — the Monday after Thanksgiving — down 18.6 percentage points from 2007′s 21 percent growth
Source: BDO Seidman, LLP

5.1%
Growth in gift card sales, accounting for 11.9 percent of overall holiday sales
Source: BDO Seidman, LLP

In case you don’t visit us tomorrow, we hope you have a safe and happy Thanksgiving!